For centuries, a sinister iron relic has hung at the heart of the New Forest, its history tied to Lyndhurst’s most important building. Inside the ancient Queen's House, the forest’s traditional headquarters, hangs a Tudor relic that once decided the fate of local dogs.
It is a story of strict royal laws, desperate commoners and a ruthless test separating harmless pets from hunting dogs.
The Queen’s House, also known as the King's House, has long served as the New Forest’s administrative centre.
Today, it remains the New Forest’s headquarters and houses Verderers' Hall, where the ancient court at Queen's House dealt with people who broke forest law. But the strange artefact hanging inside draws the most morbid curiosity.
Known locally as the "Stirrup of Rufus", the large iron gauge is named after King William II, or William Rufus, who was killed by an arrow in the New Forest in August 1100.
Despite its legendary link to the slain king, the ironwork is thought to date from Tudor times, not the 11th century. Whatever its age, the stirrup measured dogs owned by local commoners for a grim practical purpose.
When royal deer were fiercely protected, any dog deemed big enough to hunt them faced a brutal process called "lawing" or "expediting".
The test was simple but ruthless: each dog had to squeeze through the stirrup’s centre. Small terriers that fitted through were deemed harmless and spared injury.
Dogs that could not fit through were permanently lamed. The hound’s forefoot was placed on an eight-inch-thick block of wood, while a man used a mallet and two-inch chisel to cut off three claws in one blow.
Over time, the strict enforcement of dog maiming was relaxed. Owners could avoid the mutilation by paying the court a fee, which eventually became standard practice.
The punishments are long gone, but the iron gauge still hangs in Lyndhurst as a reminder that royal venison once mattered more than animal welfare.
William the Conqueror declared the New Forest a royal hunting ground in 1079, establishing the setting for the later laws protecting the monarch's deer. The declaration made Nova Foresta a royal hunting ground.
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